So last month my editor rings me up on a Wednesday afternoon – “Dave, fancy driving a Mini for a few weeks? The new 5-door one.”
See, I’ve got history with Minis. My first proper girlfriend had a classic Mini back at uni. Tiny little thing that somehow always smelled of vanilla air freshener and leaked when it rained. Proper character, that car.
Fast forward 15+ years, and here’s BMW’s modern take on the Mini sat on my driveway. In 5-door form, no less. An oxymoron if ever there was one.
The question I kept asking myself over the 23 days and 792 miles we spent together: does adding practicality dilute what makes a Mini special? Or have they actually cracked it and made a Mini that works for real life?
Right, cuppa tea at the ready? Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Looks & First Impressions – Still a Mini, Just… Longer
When they dropped it off, my first thought was “that’s not as awkward-looking as I expected.” honest truth.
It’s definitely a Mini from every angle – still got those round puppy-dog headlights and that bulldog stance. But there’s just… more of it.
The extra 161mm they’ve added doesn’t sound like much on paper, but you notice it when parked next to a regular 3-door. It’s like seeing your mate who’s had a subtle hair transplant – something’s different but you can’t quite put your finger on it at first glance.
Our test car came in that deep metallic blue they call “Island Blue” with the white roof. Proper head-turner that combo. Caught a bloke in Tesco car park having a proper gander at it.
The extra doors are well disguised. They’ve hidden the handles up near the C-pillars, which is a neat trick. Makes it look sleeker but bloody awkward to open in tight parking spots!
One thing that proper tickled me – the brake lights that make up a Union Jack pattern. Bit naff in concept but actually looks mint when they light up at night.
Alloys on our Cooper S were 18-inchers that look the business but make the ride firmer than my mother-in-law’s views on politics. More on that later.
The front end has that classic Mini innocent face that somehow also looks a bit angry. Like a toddler who’s about to kick off in Sainsbury’s.
5 doors or not, it’s still tiny compared to most modern cars. Parked next to my neighbour’s X5, it looked like a Matchbox toy.
Inside Story – Where the Extra Inches Matter
Jump in the driver’s seat and it’s exactly what you expect from a modern Mini – circles bloomin’ everywhere!
The massive dinner-plate sized central display dominates everything. Why? Because Mini, that’s why. It’s their thing and they’re sticking to it.
Quality of materials inside is dead impressive for a small car. Switches feel solid, leather’s proper nice, and there’s soft touch stuff where your hands fall. Makes my dad’s Audi A3 feel a bit plasticky by comparison.
Front seats are bang on – supportive without being too huggy. Did a 3-hour motorway stint without getting the dreaded numb bum syndrome.
Space up front is grand – I’m 6 foot and had loads of headroom even with the sunroof. Legroom no issues either.
But the real question is the back, innit? That’s the whole point of this 5-door malarkey.
The truth? It’s… adequate. Just. The extra wheelbase gives you another few inches of legroom compared to the 3-door. Enough that my 5’10” brother could sit behind me without his knees in his chest.
Did family duty one Sunday – me, the mrs, our 8-year old and my mother-in-law on a 40 min journey to a garden centre. Nobody died or filed for divorce afterward, which counts as a win in my book.
Boot space is what you’d expect – 278 litres ain’t setting the world on fire, but it swallowed our weekly big shop no problem. Ikea flat packs would be pushing it though!
Getting a child seat in and out is about 10000% easier than in the 3-door. If you’ve ever done the parent contortionist act with a 3-door car, you’ll know what I mean.
Tech Stuff – Mostly Good, Bit Confusing
The central screen looks massive thanks to the circular housing, but the actual display is 8.8 inches. Took me days to stop pressing the non-touchscreen parts of the circle, thinking it was all one big touchscreen. Muppet, me.
Apple CarPlay connected without faffing most times. The one time it didn’t, turning Bluetooth off and on sorted it. Classic IT solution that.
Sound system in our spec was branded Harman Kardon and it’s proper decent. Handled my questionable 90s rock playlist with clarity that exposed all those dodgy recordings. Sorry, Nirvana.
The digital dash behind the steering wheel is a bit small for my liking. Feels like they’ve stuck to the classic Mini small round speedo idea but in digital form. Style over function there.
Climate controls get proper buttons – HALLELUJAH! None of that touchscreen nonsense when you just want to turn the heat up.
Reversing camera quality is… meh. Gets the job done but looks like it was filmed on a Nokia from 2005 when it’s dark.
The ambient lighting is a laugh – you can make the whole cabin glow like a cheap nightclub. Kept changing it to wind the missus up.
The “Hey Mini” voice control is hit and miss. Mostly miss. Asked it to “play The Killers” and somehow ended up with the Bee Gees. Not even close, Mini, not even close.
Also Read: Omoda C3 Small SUV Unveiled With Bold Sci-Fi and Lambo Cues
Driving It – The Main Event
This is where the Mini magic needs to happen, 5 doors or not. And y’know what? They’ve only gone and bloody nailed it.
Our Cooper S with the 2.0 turbo engine felt proper nippy. 178 horses might not sound massive these days, but in something this size, it shifts!
0-60 happens in around 6.8 seconds according to the brochure. Feels faster in real life, especially when you stick it in Sport mode and the exhaust does its little pops and bangs thing. Childish? Yes. Fun? Absolutely.
Here’s how the range stacks up:
| Version | Engine | Horses | 0-60 | Real MPG | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 1.5L 3-pot | 102 hp | feels like forever | 48ish | £26,495 |
| Cooper | 1.5L 3-pot | 136 hp | 8.4 sec | mid 40s | £28,595 |
| Cooper S | 2.0L 4-pot | 178 hp | 6.8 sec | ~40 if careful | £32,095 and up |
| JCW | 2.0L 4-cyl | 231 hp | 6.1 sec | lol good luck | £36,195+ |
The steering is proper communicative – you feel everything through your fingertips but without it being twitchy on motorways. Goldilocks zone, that.
Cornering is where this thing comes alive. Chuck it into a bend and there’s barely any body roll. It just grips and goes where you point it. Proper go-kart feeling, that old Mini cliché, but it’s TRUE.
The trade-off is the ride. It’s firm. Actually no, it’s FIRM. Capital F, capital everything else. Those 18-inch wheels don’t help. You feel every cat’s eye, every expansion joint, every bit of shoddy tarmac.
After a week, I got used to it. Stockholm syndrome, maybe. But worth it for how it handles when the road gets interesting.
Gearbox on our auto model was a 7-speed dual-clutch thing. Smooth enough in normal driving, nicely responsive in sport mode. The paddles are a bit plasticky though.
Fuel economy? I averaged 39.7 mpg over my three weeks. Not bad considering some, er, enthusiastic driving was involved. The Mrs got it up to 45mpg on a gentle run to see her sister. Show off.
Running Costs – Your Wallet Will Feel It
Let’s not beat around the bush – Mini wants premium money for these cars, and the 5-door is about £700 more than the equivalent 3-door.
Our Cooper S started at £32,095 but by the time they’d added the Media Pack XL, Comfort Pack and a few other bits and bobs, we were staring at £37,820. That’s serious cash for a small car.
Servicing ain’t cheap either. Dealer quoted me £299 for a basic annual service. You’re paying for that BMW ownership experience, clearly.
Insurance group for the Cooper S is 28, which is pretty high for a small family hatch. My 40-year-old no-claims-protected quote was about £380 a year, for context.
Road tax is standard – £190 first year then £165 after. At least it’s not in the luxury car tax bracket!
The payoff comes in residuals. These things hold value better than most cars their size. The dealer reckons 55% after 3 years/30k miles, which softens the initial blow a bit.
Warranty is the standard 3 years BMW/Mini offer. Not great, not terrible. Kia still laughing all the way to the 7-year bank there.
One nice surprise – it didn’t drink oil at all during my three weeks. My old Alfa would’ve needed a top-up in that time for sure.
Real Life Practicality – The Acid Test
This is what the extra doors are all about, innit? Making the Mini work for everyday family stuff.
School run duty? Much better than the 3-door. Getting my 8-year old in and out without contorting myself was a proper revelation.
Weekly shop? No problem with the 278-litre boot. Managed to squeeze in 5 bags from Aldi plus a multipack of bog roll. The adjustable boot floor is a neat touch.
The acid test came when we needed to take my mother-in-law to the garden centre. She’s not exactly nimble these days, but managed to get in the back without too much drama. That alone justifies the extra doors.
Airport run with luggage? That’s pushing it. Did a dummy run for our summer holiday – two medium suitcases and a carry-on was tight. Had to put one of the rear seats down.
ISOFIX points are easy to get at – if you’ve ever scraped your knuckles bloody trying to attach a car seat, you’ll appreciate this.
Cup holders are oddly sized – too small for my travel mug but perfect for a Red Bull can. Make of that what you will about Mini’s target audience!
The glovebox is laughably tiny. Literally fits gloves and not much else. Owner’s manual takes up half the space.
One unexpected practical touch – the boot lid is nicely weighted and opens high enough that I didn’t bang my head on it. Being 6 foot, this happens more than you’d think with small cars.
Should You Buy One?
After 23 days of living with the Mini 5-door, I’ve come to a conclusion that might surprise you.
It’s a very specific car for a very specific type of buyer.
If you need maximum space for minimum money, you’re in the wrong showroom. A Skoda Fabia gives you more room for less cash.
If you want pillowy ride comfort, look elsewhere. A Citroen C3 will cushion your behind more effectively.
But if you want a car with proper character that makes you smile on the morning commute AND can just about handle family duties when needed? It starts making a lot more sense.
The sweet spot in the range? For my money, the regular Cooper with carefully chosen options. The One feels gutless, and the JCW is overkill unless you’re planning track days.
This 5-door Mini is for people who’ve outgrown their 3-door hot hatch but aren’t ready for sensible slippers and a Qashqai just yet.
It’s for those who appreciate quality materials and want something different from the usual suspects.
It’s for drivers who value handling and character over outright space and value.
When I handed back the keys, I genuinely felt a pang of regret. That’s rare in this job, believe me. Usually I’m happy to move on to the next one.
The Mini 5-door might be a compromise, but it’s a cleverly judged one. It preserves most of what makes a Mini special while adding just enough practicality to justify itself to your sensible side (or your other half).
Worth the premium price? If you value the things Mini does well – quality, handling, character – then yeah, I reckon it is. Just don’t go mad with the options list.
Oh, and skip the 18-inch wheels unless you’ve got a chiropractor on speed dial.
Quick FAQs
Is it actually usable as a family car?
With small kids, yeah deffo. Teenagers would hate the back seats though. Think of it as a “small family” car, emphasis on small.
Does it still feel like a proper Mini to drive?
100%. The extra length barely affects the handling. Still corners like a go-kart on rails.
Is the Cooper S worth the extra over the Cooper?
For most people, probably not. The regular Cooper is quick enough and cheaper to buy and run. But the S does sound better…
Worth the premium over something like a Fiesta?
If you care about premium feel and badge cachet, yes. If you’re after pure value for money, the Ford’s your better bet.
